Kosovo is a lower-middle-income country which has experienced solid economic growth over the last decade. Kosovo is one of only four countries in Europe to experience growth in every year since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008.
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Reporter Reisen: Mr. Olters, is it correct to say that the project of a new coal-fired power plant in Kosovo has become the most controversial one within the World Bank?Jan-Peter Olters: It is at... Show More + least one that everyone knows. It is one of the most controversial.RR: The World Bank has announced to reduce investments in new coal-fired power plants. Why does Kosovo need a new coal power station?Olters: The issue is not a new, additional power station but the ability to decommission “Kosovo A” as quickly as possible and replace it with a modern power plant. “Kosovo A” is an ancient, fragile, and very inefficient power plant, which—even with the new filters—causes significant pollution.RR: Would it not be more sustainable to rely on alternatives to reduce the country’s dependency on coal energy?Olters: We did ask ourselves: are there options to close “Kosovo A” without replacing it with another coal-fired power plant, while ensuring that, at the same time, energy security is assured ( Show Less -

Assume KOSID and allied civil society organizations will “win” the energy debate, with the Kosova e Re power plant (KRPP) remaining unbuilt. Would that transform Kosovo and bring the kind of future envisioned... Show More + in, and advocated by, KOSID’s recent media campaign? With clean, secure, and affordable energy from renewable sources? Or would such a “success” end up being a Pyrrhic victory, costly for Kosovo, its economy, and its citizen? Would today’s Energy Strategy—aimed at opening doors to modern technologies and an energy mix—be sacrificed in favor of the continued reliance on Kosovo A and opportunistic investments in this sector, resulting in more rather than less coal-based power generation in years and decades to come? Possibly with power plants being built not to increase domestic energy security but with a view to simply exporting energy, with technologies that are inconsistent with requirements spelled out in the European Union’s environmental acquis communautaire, and with socio-ec Show Less -